Asparagus and Parmesan tart recipe
Asparagus and Parmesan tart recipe
This makes the most of seasonal asparagus and is a great lunch idea, served with salad.
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus chilling
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 6
375g (13oz) shortcrust pastry
130ml (4.5fl oz) double cream
130ml (4.5fl oz) milk
2 large free-range eggs, plus 2 yolks
85g (3.5oz) Parmesan cheese, roughly grated, plus extra to scatter
around 30 spears asparagus, trimmed
1 Preheat the oven to 200 C, 180 C fan, 400 F, gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and carefully line a 20cm (8in) fluted loose-based tart tin. Chill for at least 10 minutes then bake blind for 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry has browned.
2 Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix the cream, milk, eggs and Parmesan together, and season well. When the pastry case is cooked, lower the oven to 150 C, 130 C fan, 300 F, gas 2. Lay the asparagus spears around the case in a clock formation, so that they’re fairly tightly packed, and pour the custard on top of them.
3 Transfer the tart to the oven and cook on a low shelf for about 30 minutes, until the custard has set and wobbles slightly when shaken. Remove the tart from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then serve with a green salad and buttered new potatoes.
Per serving: 520 calories, 38g fat (17g saturated), 31g carbohydrate
New taste
To make a cheese pastry to go with this tart, just before your last “roll” of the pastry, scatter over 2tbsp of freshly grated Parmesan, roll in gently then line the tin.
